Tourism Attraction Grant Program

The Tourism Attraction Grant Program, known as the TAP Program, is a state-funded initiative administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. This grant is designed to support the development or enhancement of tourism attractions throughout Illinois, aiming to generate increased visitation, attract new visitors, lengthen visitor stays, and stimulate overnight accommodations. The program is open to a broad range of Illinois-based entities including counties, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, local promotion groups, and for-profit businesses. Eligible applicants must demonstrate they are in good standing with state authorities at the time of application. Pre-award requirements include completion of the Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ) and Programmatic Risk Assessment Questionnaire (PRAQ), and submission of necessary organizational documents. Applicants must submit a complete standard application package that includes a Uniform Grant Application, a Uniform Capital Budget using the department’s template, a conflict of interest disclosure, mandatory disclosures, a program-specific narrative, and an advance budget form. All applications are evaluated competitively on a 100-point scale by an internal review committee. A minimum score of 60 points is required to be eligible for funding consideration. The evaluation emphasizes organizational capacity, proposal quality, need, and additional factors such as geographic dispersion and diversity. The program has a rigorous matching requirement that varies by applicant type. Counties, municipalities, not-for-profits, and local promotion groups must contribute at least 50 percent of the total project cost, while for-profit businesses must contribute at least 75 percent. In-kind contributions are allowed for non-profit and government applicants, but may not exceed 25 percent of their match requirement. In-kind match is not permitted for for-profit applicants. Matching funds must be committed, documented, and cannot include existing assets or operational expenses. The grant does not allow reimbursement for pre-award costs or include indirect costs. Grants range from $15,000 to $200,000 and are awarded based on merit and funding availability. For FY24, the program was allocated $10.8 million, with $1.7 million projected for FY25 and $1.8 million for FY26. The award process takes 30 to 90 business days. Reporting is required on a quarterly basis using the PPR and PFR formats. Applicants can appeal only the evaluation process, not the outcome or scores, within 14 calendar days of the notice of award.

Emphasize capacity, proposal quality, and geographic diversity. In-kind contributions not allowed for for-profit entities. Ensure compliance with documentation rules.